Fréd Vasseur has revealed fresh insights into the work Ferrari is carrying out for 2026, offering details directly from the Team Principal himself. Maranello is under pressure to perform in 2026, as the Scuderia cannot afford to start another regulatory cycle chasing its rivals. The French manager has provided a glimpse into the progress being made on next year’s car.
Fred Vasseur shapes the team for 2026
Fred Vasseur now has the team he wants at his disposal. The French manager has molded the staff to his specifications, though the search for additional talent is far from over. The Team Principal is eager to bring Pierre Waché into the team and has been trying to convince him for several months. Loïc Serra, currently Ferrari’s Technical Director for Chassis, is the key figure that Fred Vasseur has successfully recruited. The 2026 project is progressing, featuring several revolutions in the suspension system and engine developments. Loic Serra is already in the spotlight, as his decision to focus on the advanced rear suspension while freezing aerodynamic updates affected the performance of the SF-25. Next year, he will have primary technical leadership, with Fred Vasseur retaining final decision-making authority.
Vasseur: “If we dominate, that’s fine”
“We are building something with Loïc [Serra], with Jérôme [d’Ambrosio], with the team in their positions. I think the mood in the team is very positive and we know what we want to achieve. We know what we want to do. And I think this dynamic is important, both for today and for the future. I feel comfortable in this team. I think 2026 will be exciting, unless someone is dominant [laughs] and it’s not us! If it is us, that’s fine! It will be hugely exciting.” These were Fred Vasseur’s words to Luke Smith of ‘The Athletic’. The Team Principal is confident that the team is moving in the right direction and that there is good harmony internally. However, there are rumors of significant tension within Maranello.
The SF-25’s design difficulties contribute to the pressure. Matteo Togninalli, Head of Track Engineers, is reportedly under scrutiny due to discrepancies between the simulator and real-world performance. Ferrari also faces communication challenges between Maranello-based staff and those working on track. Lewis Hamilton has made his voice heard, but Fred Vasseur believes the key is improving ‘execution’. “On a weekend like Baku, I think we had the pace to do much, much better.” Recall that Lewis Hamilton exited in Q2 during qualifying in Azerbaijan, while Charles Leclerc hit the wall in Q3, forcing them to fight in the lower top-10 positions throughout the race. “It’s like that now. We need to focus more on execution to have a strong weekend.”
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